Too late
by AlyshaNemesis
Summary: Sequel to Over! extract :She hated those words. How could two tiny little words possibly destroy… everything? Too late.: Set after the last battle. Sad oneshot.


_A/N: Sequel to "Over"! Can be read without knowing the prequel but may be confusing at times. _

_Special thanks to my wonderful beta libaka!!! What would I do without you! ;)_

_Okay, enjoy the story and maybe you feel like reviewing...?_**  
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**Too late...**

_She wants to go home_

_But nobody's home_

_That's where she lies_

_Broken inside..._

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There she stood on the doorstep to what once was here home. Well, it still was her home, yet there was a difference.

Silence. It was far too silent. Not that it's ever been noisy, either. But there's always been something you could hear if you only listen... Footsteps, a feather scratching over a bit of parchment, a faint cough... And, of course, there's been a certain warmth and atmosphere. She was only too aware that now everything she was used to seemed to be gone. They were gone.

Empty and cold. That's what she felt, that's what home was like nowadays.

But it's not like she didn't see it coming. It started all too long ago, she couldn't even lay her fingers on the exact moment. Maybe it even started before it began. She knew that it didn't make sense, yet she felt that it was true.

Everything started with her husband getting involved with a certain Slytherin who himself seemed to be a little too obsessed with a certain Gryffindor boy...

She sighed. If only Lucius hadn't decided to follow the Dark Lord at first... If only Draco hadn't made the same mistake... Well, maybe she wouldn't be all alone, maybe at least one of them would still be with her... But it was too late.

She hated those words. How could two tiny little words possibly destroy… everything? Too late. Oh, how she detested them! It always was too late!

Too late to help, too late to care, too late to correct your faults. Everything was just too late! But is there even such a thing as "the right time" for some things? Or is there only doing or avoiding, no time for corrections, no time for mourning, for feeling guilty and trying to fix everything? Could life really be that cruel?

Lucius... He did make mistakes, sure. But he did realise that they were mistakes. In fact, it was the last he ever did... At least Draco did get his chance to try and fix his mistakes—sure, he died nevertheless, but at least he died while fighting against his old master. And she could tell from the smile that still could be seen on his dead body that he didn't regret dying like this one bit: Defending the ones he loved.

A silent tear traced Narcissa's face as she slowly entered her old home. She still couldn't really believe it, let alone handle it. As she wandered the halls memories sprung to her mind. Lucius always used to look in that mirror before leaving the house... Draco always tripped over this tiny statue and swore so bad she had to punish him. She used to make him spend more time with her as a "punishment", for Lucius didn't seem to understand that Draco still needed her. Her husband has been raised and educated by his father since the age of six whilst he'd hardly seen his mother at all. That's just the way every heir in their family had been treated for ages. And you try and explain to a Malfoy that only because it's a tradition doesn't necessarily mean that it's good! She'd hardly earned more than a confused glare. Still, he agreed that she could punish the child in his absence. So she used punishment as a way to spend some time with her son who actually seemed to enjoy it, she could swear that he sometimes tripped and swore on purpose...

Smiling sadly, she traced the statue with her fingers. Things would never be the same again... Draco would never, ever trip over this statue. He'd never smile his little smile he'd saved for her and her alone. The smile faded from her face. Her beloved family was gone forever. The place she once called her home was empty, cold and she felt kind of...unwelcome. Like she was at the very wrong place to be. This was not her home any more. "Home" meant something friendly, where there was at least one living soul except for her. She wanted so much to go home now. Sadly, technically, she was home. Only that it felt wrong.

Slowly she slid to the floor and cried, mourning for the first time since she's seen the last member of her family lying dead on a battlefield covered with corpses. It just wasn't fair... But then again, what was fair? Nothing, she decided. She lay on the floor, staring at the ceiling, crying and bemoaning the war that broke her and her beloved family to pieces...

And that's when Remus found her.

Silently, he knelt next to her, taking her hand into his. Squeezing it gently he simply smiled at her, saying nothing, for there was nothing to say.

When she finally regained the strength to get up, he took her into his arms, hugging her gently. They stood silent for a couple of minutes, living on the strength and courage of their counterpart.

Then Remus pulled away a little. Looking into her eyes he smiled. She gave him a weak smile. "I'm sorry", she whispered. "I just had to come here. I wanted so much to go...home." He nodded.

"I know."

She shivered. "But it's too late... They're gone... This is no home any more. It's over..."

Remus hugged her once again, whispering: "But don't you remember? It's never over. At least not for us. We survived. We are not to give up. _You_ made me promise not to give up. And James will need a mother... Well, at least the nearest thing to a mother he can get. Come on. It's never too late.."

She didn't stop crying but nodded. Remus was right. There were still things worth living for. And maybe he was right and sometimes "late" didn't mean "too late" but "just in time"...

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_When you love someone but it goes to waste_

_Could it be worse?_

_Lights will guide you home_

_And ignite your bones_

_And I will try to fix you_

_The End (?)_

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_A/N: That's it... Sad, isn't it? Maybe I'll write more about them... Oh, and for those who don't like the "pairing": Did I ever say there was more than friendship between them? 'g' _

_Thanks for reading! _


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